Kathmandu: Nearly 300 Indian tourists are among thousands who are reportedly missing after a flash flood swept through parts of the Nepal-Tibet border, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on Thursday.
The flash floods on Wednesday wreaked havoc across three districts in Nepal.
Nepal Foreign Minister Khanal on Thursday said that nearly 300 Indians are among thousands reported missing in the floods.
The disaster has killed at least 162 people in Nepal and three in China, while hundreds remain missing. The scale of the destruction has made it difficult for rescue teams to reach several affected areas, with roads and bridges washed away and communication and power links disrupted.
Speaking about the flash floods, Foreign Minister Khanal on Thursday confirmed that nearly 300 Indians are among thousands who have been reported missing in the floods.
He further said that 160 people have died and thousands still remain untraced after the floods wreaked havoc in the Rasuwa region.
“Thousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now. We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster,” Khanal said, while speaking to NDTV.
At least 133 Indian nationals and 37 non-resident Indians were earlier reported among those missing. However, later, Nepal’s foreign minister confirmed that the number has gone up to 300.
The region is also a major route for pilgrims travelling to Kailash Manasarovar, with several Indian tourists and pilgrims caught in the disaster.
